Aitor Karanka said Middlesbrough were back where they belonged after guiding the Teessiders back to the Premier League.

Boro clinched their return to the top flight after a seven-year exile courtesy of a 1-1 draw against Brighton, which guaranteed the second automatic promotion place in the Sky Bet Championship.

Karanka, who took over at the Riverside in November 2013, said on Sky Sports 1: "(I've been manager here for) two years and a half, and two years and a half later everything has changed a lot. We couldn't be (more) proud of this group of players.

"As I've said before, this group of players, this crowd, this chairman deserves to be in the Premier League again.

"When I arrived here, sometimes they think I was crazy when I said my aim was to put this club in the Premier League again, but two years and a half later, we are in the position where this club deserves to be. Amazing."